8 Best Essential Oils For Headaches And How To Use Them

This story originally appeared on Rodale’s Organic Life in October 2017.

The dull ache. The head throbbing. The pressure. If you’re one of the 78 percent of people who suffer from tension headaches—and that doesn’t even include the stress, hormonal, or migraine varieties—you know what we’re talking about. Well, we're here to tell you to put those pills down and pick up essential oils. The powerful plant oils are concentrated healers that can ease muscle pain, dial down stress, and tame those head pounders.

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We asked Colorado-based aromatherapist and herbalist Mindy Green, MS, RA, RH, for her go-to essential oils to head off all kinds of headaches, whether they're tension-related, PMS, or just a pain in the brain.

Tension headache? Pass the peppermint.

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Feel like a clamp is tightening around your head? You’ve hit tension headache territory. Hit back with peppermint oil. Not only is peppermint a mighty pain reliever, it has a cooling sensation, which can help melt tense muscles, plus studies show it can help ease tension headaches. Add 10 drops peppermint oil to 1-ounce carrier oil, like jojoba or coconut, and massage into the neck and shoulders.

Stress headache? Unwind with a calming scent.

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It’s no surprise that more stress in your life means more headaches. According to a 2014 German study, every 10 point increase on the stress scale translated to 6% more tension headaches and 4.3% more migraines per month. Enter essential oils. Research shows inhaling the aromas can lower stress response, serum cortisol levels, and blood pressure, but which EO to choose? Lavender, frankincense, neroli, and citrus oils can all work like a chill pill, but even more important is that you like the aroma. “If an aroma is perceived as pleasant, we take a deeper breath; that in itself helps to slow the heart, align the nervous system, and help us to relax,” says Green. Pick an essential oil you love and inhale 1-2 drops from a tissue, add to an essential oil diffuser, or apply 1-2 drops to your palms with a carrier oil, rub together gently, and inhale deeply.

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Some artificial fragrances can cause headaches. So freshen up your room with an all natural, mood boosting citrus room spray made with essential oils:

Migraine? Lift it with lavender

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There’s a lot to love about lavender. Research shows the floral scent can induce relaxation, improve sleep, regulate serotonin levels, and even boost calming theta and alpha brain waves, plus a study published in European Neurology found that inhaling lavender essential oil for 15 minutes can relieve migraine pain. Inhale straight from the bottle at the first sign of a headache or use it in a face massage. Add 1 drop lavender to a teaspoon of unscented face cream, massaging the jaw, temples, and forehead.

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Hormonal headache? Geranium to the rescue

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Hormones can be our best friends and our worst enemies, especially when estrogen bottoms out right before your period and triggers a headache." Geranium is thought to work on the adrenal cortex and pituitary to manage hormone levels,” says Green who suggests using the sweet flowery scent both on the abdomen (add 1 drop to a teaspoon of carrier oil and massage in a circular motion) and in the bath (add 5-8 drops to a tablespoon of carrier oil and add to the bath).

Dehydration headache? Add to a cold compress

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Dehydration sucks—and one of the first signs is a headache. Makes sense, the brain is made up of around 73 percent water, and not getting enough fluids can cause the brain to pull away from the skull, causing pain. But drinking water and electrolytes isn’t the only thing you can do to set things right; a cold compress spiked with essential oils can help, says Green. Add 1-2 drops peppermint, orange, or tangerine to a small bowl of cold water. Dip a face cloth, ring it out, and put it across your forehead while you chill out.

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No-name headache? Try a blend

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“Headaches are shape shifters because they can be caused from so many things,” says Green, who uses a blend of rosemary, peppermint, and lavender as her general headache go-to. “A blend gives you a wider range of constituents that may help address a wider range of unknown problems,” says Green. Add the blend to a diffuser or make your own headache roller ball by adding 1 drop each of the essential oils to a 10 ml roller ball and fill with a carrier oil (jojoba, sweet almond); shake well and store in a cool, dark place.

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